


Blue

by poochiwi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bullying, Childhood Friends, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, He falls quickly, Insecurity, Light Angst, Light Transphobia, POV Uchiha Sasuke, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Regret, SasuNaru - Freeform, Sasuke's brain: Naruto, Trans Female Character, Trans Uzumaki Naruto, What's the opposite of slow burn, light Violence, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27273520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poochiwi/pseuds/poochiwi
Summary: No matter how much things change, your eyes stay blue.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 20
Kudos: 176





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by a cute picture I saw on twitter, I know it won't be everyone's favorite fic but the topic is close to my heart so yeah :)  
> warnings: alternate universe, slightly ooc!Naruto and Sasuke, and there may be some lines corresponding to an understanding of trans people by characters who aren't, so they may come off as insensitive or ignorant, light transphobia and physical violence  
> disclaimer: I dont own the Naruto series

"Sasuke," his brother greeted with a fond smile as soon as he got close, his heavy suitcase rolling behind him. The airport was noisy and crowded, but even when he had been farther away, Itachi had stood out like a sore thumb amongst everyone else.

"It's good to see you," Itachi said, bringing him into a hug, and he couldn't help but a feel a little pride when he noticed he had grown slightly taller than his older brother, even if change had been expected after six years apart.

He had been in Otogakure for the past six years, completing the final half of his schooling in a prestigious academy known for the success of its graduating students. Back then, he had left in a flurry, when he had been an agitated thirteen-year-old who had felt like he'd never meet his father's expectations. He hadn't really said goodbye to any of his friends except for Naruto, the sunny boy who he had known practically all his life, who had asked him if leaving was what he truly wanted, sending him off with a teary smile when he had said yes.

Losing contact with his blonde friend wasn't something he was proud of, even if he knew things would be the same as they had been before when it came to their friendship; they had been too close for time to cause such a rift between them. However, he knew Naruto might've had a hard time without him around; the blonde had constantly been an easy target for teasing which almost bordered on bullying, all because he was a little too different, always unapologetically himself which Sasuke admired but others scorned.

While other people hadn't outright teased Naruto, like Ino or Kiba, they _had_ cast him aside, often ignoring the blonde or making him feel left out, so it was safe to say that not being able to be there for his friend while away, not even through pesky emails, was something he would always regret; he just hoped Naruto had found other people to lean on.

"Did you apply to college?" Itachi asked as they walked through the expansive airport, heading toward the parking lot in order to go home.

"Yeah, did it just before leaving," he replied. He had applied to Fire Country University, which was right outside their small town of Konohagakure, making it the prime option for high school graduates coming from both Konoha and Oto. When they had been kids, Naruto and him had decided on that particular school, saying they'd room together even if they took different classes; which they most probably would have considering they hadn't really had the same academic interests.

"How is everyone?" he asked his brother as they neared his car, and he hoped Itachi couldn't tell he was mostly asking about Naruto; he had talked to his parents regularly when he had been away, so it's not like he didn't know how they were doing.

"Mom and Dad have really missed you," he winced when he heard that; he had left when he was thirteen, and he could still vividly remember his mom trying to persuade him to stay, but he had left anyway, "Dad really regrets how he was with you Sasuke, he feels responsible for driving you away."

"I just wanted to make him proud," he whispered in response. Naruto had always said that he shouldn't aim toward pleasing his father, only himself, and if he made his dad proud along the way then that was a bonus. He realized years later that his friend had been right.

Driving from the airport and into Konoha felt nostalgic. Their small town hadn't changed much apart from a few renovated streets and buildings and when they eventually passed his old school on their way home, his mind drifted back to his blonde friend, so he caved.

"How's Naruto?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't come out as shaky as it felt.

"Naruto's doing good. They still visit regularly," Itachi supplied, and he knew 'they' meant the Namikaze family. After all, Naruto and him had met through their parents; when he had been all but kindergarten age, a family of three had walked through their door - a tall blonde man, a redheaded woman, and a small blonde boy. They had instantly become inseparable, going outside to play when the sun was out and staying inside when it wasn't; he had even aided in some of Naruto's pranks from time to time.

He briefly wondered how he'd meet up with Naruto again, and though he could just knock on his door – given they still lived in the same house – showing up unannounced and uninvited might not sit well with his childhood friend. Waiting in his house for the blonde to visit with his family seemed like the best option, but that might take time. Just thinking about how to go about reconnecting with Naruto was making his head hurt, even if deep down he knew he was overthinking the entire thing; they'd just see each other and be back to where they had been before he left.

"Sasuke, we're here," his older brother said already halfway out the car. Getting out himself, he made quick work of grabbing his suitcase from the trunk, pulling it along as he walked up the small gravel path that led to his house. The big oak door looked familiar, but most of all, it looked welcoming. He was glad to be back in Konoha.

* * *

It had been a week since he got back to Konoha, and those seven days had been spent pretty much exclusively inside his house, surrounded by his parents, his brother and on occasion one or two of his cousins and uncles. Being around his family had been nice, and though he hadn't been lonely back in Oto – on the contrary, he had met and made valuable friends – there was something different about being with the people who had been there for you since the start. Just now he was realizing how much he had missed his mom, the warm hugs and the food she had cooked for him as a kid; he couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't have left, even if he knew that he wouldn't be who he was today had he not taken that step.

Currently, he was taking a walk along Konoha's market, the busiest part of their little town. It was interesting to walk past the different places he had frequented as a kid, like the small park which had now added a few more things for children to play with or the candy store close to their school which they had often gone to after class.

He had bought some tomatoes to take home for his mom to cook lunch with, but he wasn't really in a hurry to get back to his house, opting instead to keep walking leisurely, even greeting some of the vendors who happened to recognize him.

Eventually, he ended up inside a quaint little grocery store which he didn't really recall being there before, making his way through the different aisles and grabbing other small things he needed, but something made him stop in his tracks. The first thing he saw were the ever-so-familiar whisker markings on a tan cheek, which is what made him pause initially. There, standing in front of the dairy products, was a woman, though his confusion came from her long blonde hair, blue eyes and the aforementioned whiskers.

He didn't really know why he was nervous, but walking at a dreadfully slow pace toward her didn't help. When he was finally close enough to actually speak, neither of them did for what felt like the longest minute of his life, and her face had showed surprise from the moment she took notice of him, that expression staying all throughout that awkward silence.

"Naru-" he started but cut himself off; he wanted to punch himself in the face, she probably didn't go by that name anymore. "Sorry, I-"

"Naruto is fine," she replied, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and her voice was still similar to what it had been before he left; sort of high-pitched but raspy all the same.

He couldn't really find the words to say and he hoped he wasn't making her uncomfortable, but he couldn't really deny he was a little shocked – not in a negative sense or meaning that he wouldn't have ever seen it coming, just the surprise of not knowing. Naturally, she looked different than she had before, because not only had she grown some, but her hair was longer than it had ever been and her body had changed to give way to gentle curves that were half-hidden by her thick sweater.

"When'd you get back? You look good," she said, flashing him a small smile which although was not as big as her trademark Naruto grin, looked just as charming.

"I, uh- about a week ago or so," he felt dumb for stumbling over his words, but Naruto just nodded and asked if he had all the things he was planning on buying, and when he said yes, she pulled him toward the checkout lines, paying for her things and then leading him outside the grocery store when he paid his.

"Wanna go to Ichiraku's together?" she asked him when they were back out on the crowded market area, her mischievous blue eyes bringing him back to a time when they often ran together to the small ramen stall, himself doing so mostly out of a sense of duty to his friend – because ramen wasn't his favorite, but it had always been Naruto's. He nodded his assent, and instantly felt his heart warm up when Naruto's face brightened up even more, her smile growing wider and flashing pearly-white teeth.

"Great!" she exclaimed, taking off running with a laugh and making him chase her with a scream of _'slow down!_ '.

* * *

Having lunch together had been nice, and eerily familiar, reinforcing his growing belief that not really much had changed. Naruto had stormed inside Ichiraku like she owned the place, greeting the man behind the counter with an enthusiastic ' _Old man!_ ', before plopping down on the stool and eating a handful of bowls in record time, all while he sat beside her and listened to her talk on and on about anything and everything.

Now they were walking together, and though there was something heavy in the air between them - things they should talk about and iron out - he didn't want to ruin their first day together after six years, and it seemed like Naruto was on the same page. They were making their way through Konoha aimlessly, occasionally stopping whenever something caught their attention or simply to do one thing or another, like when Naruto stopped at a vending machine to buy a drink she promptly spewed out, saying it tasted horrid.

Before he noticed it, they were standing on the street above the small wooden dock he had frequented as a kid, Naruto often accompanying him there too. It brought a lot of memories back, and though some were sad moments, he looked back at them all fondly, just like Naruto smiled fondly at him before going down toward the dock.

When he caught up to her, she was already sitting down on the edge of it, her orange tote bag carrying her groceries on the wood beside her. He wordlessly sat down next to her, looking at the water and the orange-ish light the now-setting sun cast on it.

"We used to sit here whenever you got on one of your moods, remember?" she suddenly said, and he felt himself nod. He had always come to this dock whenever he felt that his dad wanted Itachi more; that he was a failure, or on any other occasion when his childish self felt like sulking, though he had happier moments on this dock, like skipping stones with his brother or carving dumb things on it with Naruto.

"Hn," he then grunted, tracing the dark wood with his fingertips. "They replaced the boards."

"Hmm," she hummed. "They did, I didn't notice that before."

Then there was a pause, and he found himself really looking at Naruto. Because he did remember them sitting here – vividly. He remembered them sitting almost the same way they were sitting now, only they had been almost a decade younger. Only silly kids with outrageous dreams and boundless energy – not that they were too old now, only around eighteen years old, but when comparing yourself to your younger self, it always feels distant.

Back then, Naruto's hair had been short, messy blonde spikes not really styled in any particular way except for covering his forehead and dusting his eyebrows in their length. He had worn shorts and a white shirt with some design or another, not a skirt like now – because he hadn't been a girl then. Or maybe she had, maybe Naruto had always been a girl that had just looked different; the concept was hard to wrap his head around but deep down he just wanted to do right by his friend.

Even if on the outside _some_ things were different – though her blue eyes were still the same vibrant shade of blue and rounded in shape – on the inside he could see that Naruto was still the same as she had been before. She was lively, boisterous, authentic, _beautiful_ ; she was just _Naruto_ , and he couldn't really put into words how warm seeing her again made him feel.

Before it could get dark, Naruto stood up, asking for his phone number and putting it in hers before she quickly hugged him; it lasted a moment but the feeling of her soft body pressed up against his had him blushing for reasons he couldn't decipher. He offered to walk her home but she shrugged him off before walking in the direction of her house, telling him she was looking forward to seeing him again later.

He walked back to his own house in a daze. Meeting Naruto under those circumstances had felt like a dream. It had been nothing like what he had been picturing seeing the blonde again would have been like, though it hadn't been an unpleasant experience, just different. When he finally got to his house, he set down the groceries he had purchased in the kitchen before going to their living room, where Itachi was reading a book calmly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked his brother, sinking down into the seat opposite to him. He was confused as to why no one would tell him in advance that his childhood friend, his best friend, had taken such an important step in their life. It would've saved him the awkwardness and would've made it much easier to not make Naruto feel uncomfortable in any way.

"Does it bother you?" Itachi asked, quirking an eyebrow but not really looking up from his book, and of course Itachi instantly knew what he was talking about.

"Of course not," he scoffed. The only thing that bothered him was that he hadn't been able to be there for his friend, and that the unorthodox method of them meeting had meant that they hadn't really addressed it in any way – though maybe they weren't meant to, it was up to Naruto if they did.

"Good," his older brother nodded, finally putting his book down to look at him. "She asked us not to tell you. She wanted you to hear everything from her mouth." 

He hummed; that did sound like Naruto, someone who had never really shied away from any type of conversation, even if it had been uncomfortable or confrontational, she just went into things head-first, working out the kinks later.

"She's had a really hard time with it, you know how Konoha is," Itachi said, an angry look overcoming his face; his older brother had always been overprotective of the two of them.

It probably hadn't been his brother's intention to make him feel overridden with guilt, but now he could safely say he regretted leaving Konoha if only because he left his best friend alone to fend off the wolves by herself, when he could've been there for her entire journey as he had been to help Naruto with the hard times when they had been kids – and just like Naruto had been there for him throughout. He hadn't even been able to keep in contact with his friend; maybe if he had Naruto would've trusted him with her issues, and he could've been there for her even if it a distance, but he had failed at that too.

"Don't blame yourself, Sasuke. It's pointless," his brother chided with a tsk. "You can be there for her now."

"Yeah," he murmured.

* * *

After confirming with his brother that Naruto did live where she had before he left, he texted her to ask if she was home, heading there when she said she was, though he didn't really tell her he was going to stop by. The house still looked relatively the same. It was smaller than his but gave off a cozier vibe; the only change he could see was that the already impressive amount of plants and flowers the house had been surrounded by had seemed to grow, though they were neatly arranged.

Knocking on the door like he had done so many times before when he had gone looking for Naruto as kids felt familiar, including the redheaded woman who answered the door with a smile. She was wearing an orange apron but she looked pretty much the same as she had before he left Konoha, which was oddly reassuring.

"Kushina-san," he greeted.

"Sasuke-kun? Is that you? I heard you had finally come back but it's different to see you with my own eyes!" she said excitedly, pulling him into a hug and then patting his cheek when she pulled away. "You've grown so much," she added, beaming up at him.

"Thank you," he replied, scratching lightly at the cheek she had touched. "And yes, I got back pretty recently."

"That's good! We all missed you, 'ttebane," the redhead said. "Ne, did you come to see Naruto?" she then asked him, tilting her head to the side. 

"Hn," he nodded.

"Aa. She's in the kitchen," she pulled the door open the whole way and stepped aside. "Come in."

He thanked her and then proceeded to make his way around the house with ease, looking around in case he saw Minato-san, though the man was probably not home. When he finally got inside the kitchen, it was to see Naruto doing dishes while she hummed some dumb song to herself. Her hair however, was done up in pigtails with messy bangs brushing her eyebrows, and he couldn't really tell why he thought the sight was endearing.

"Dobe," he called out, leaning on the doorway, and her head instantly turned to him, blue eyes widening in surprise just like they had done a couple of days before.

"Teme? What're you doin' here?" the blonde asked, making sure to not leave the water running before she walked the small distance to stand in front of him, only to then place her hand, her very _wet_ hand on his face and drag it down slowly, laughing in delight at his sour expression.

He grabbed her other hand and turned it back on her, doing the same thing she did to him and subsequently leaving both of their faces wet; they'd probably look extremely dumb to anyone who walked in on them. "You're such a sore loser, S'ske," she complained with a pout, drying her face with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Hn."

"So, what _are_ you really doing here though?" Naruto asked him.

"Just visiting, sorry I didn't warn you," he replied, running hand through his ink-black locks of hair.

"You can visit whenever you want, dummy," she said. "We should go to my room, though."

Naruto's bedroom looked extremely similar to what it had looked like when they had been thirteen and twelve – or maybe he just got that impression because of all the orange. The game consoles they used to play on were still on the shelf along with the manga they used to trade with one another to save money, though.

However, there were some differences in the blonde's bedroom, like pictures hanging on the wall that hadn't been there before. There were some of Naruto with her parents, and even some with him and his brother on them, but there were some new ones where Sakura, Hinata and even Ino were pictured with the blonde.

On the blonde's desk were some papers scattered about with an open laptop besides them, and he recognized the website for Fire Country University. "Are you applying?" he asked.

"Mhm! Are you?"

"Yeah, looks like we'll be going to the same university after all," he replied with a smirk.

"Are we still gonna get a dorm together?" she asked him, and his first instinct was to answer saying that they'd obviously get a room together, only to then realize he couldn't do that.

"I don't- we probably can't do that anymore," he said with a cough, his eyes unconsciously looking at her up and down.

"I guess you're right," she agreed with a giggle. "I heard they're doing some co-ed dorms though."

"Hn, we'll see," he wouldn't exactly be opposed to rooming with Naruto if that was a possibility.

A few minutes later they ended up lying next to each other on Naruto's small bed, the sun casting light on them through the window. The sunny rays were making the blonde's hair shine brighter, making it seem like spun gold. Her eyes were closed to the avoid the intensity of the light, and he was sort of disappointed that he couldn't get a closer look at that rich blue color.

Lying there, he felt his heart swell with pride for his friend. Naruto had overcome a lot of things, taking on even bigger challenges without him present, and now she was probably headed to the same university he was, something that despite saying they'd both do, Naruto had always worried about actually achieving it.

"When did you-" he started, only to stop himself in the middle; he should wait until Naruto brought it up herself. "Sorry, we don't have to talk about it, but if you ever want to-"

"Sasuke, it's fine," she interrupted him. "I was gonna tell you all about it before you left, but I was confused myself so I never really got around to it... Tsunade-baachan ended up helping me eventually."

"Can I ask why?" it was probably a stupid or rude question, but he couldn't really help himself from blurting it out when it was his best friend he was talking to.

"It's a little hard to put into words, but my brain basically told me my body was wrong, if it's easier to understand that way," she shrugged. "I know it's stupid, and it's a lot more than just that but-"

"Naruto, it's not stupid," he replied, "And I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

"You're here now though," she said with a small smile and teary eyes he didn't comment on.

"Yeah, I am."


	2. Chapter 2

Just as he had suspected, their friendship bounced back with a terrifying speed in the span of just a little over two weeks, almost like he had never left in the first place. They fortunately had a lot of free time, which he had spent over at Naruto's house, with the blonde coming over to his own frequently too. Whenever they weren't at each other places, they were somewhere in town doing whatever came to mind, even if that meant giving the ramen place more money than he really had in his wallet just to indulge Naruto's obsession with the noodles.

They were currently in the blonde's room, going over the state of their college applications when Naruto's phone dinged. He saw her grab it and scroll with her thumbs, typing what was probably a response to whatever message she had received in the first place.

"Sakura-chan wants to know if you're up to goin' to a party," she muttered, never lifting her eyes from her phone screen, and he could tell from her tone that she probably wasn't expecting him to say yes.

"Party?" he asked in response. Parties - as far as he knew - weren't very common in Konoha, though they had been in Oto; the slightly bigger city was less conservative, so rowdy teens were more frequently seen together.

"Well, it's more like a gathering, I guess. Choji's family owns a bar that they sometimes offer up," she finally looked up at him, an expectant look in her eyes. "It could be fun, 'ttebayo!"

"Since when do you drink?" he asked her, quirking a brow.

"What? No, no way," the blonde shook her head. "Mom would kill me if I did, I just drink whatever they have that doesn't have any alcohol in it."

"Hmm," Kushina-san probably _would_ kill Naruto if she found out her daughter had been drinking, and for some reason he wasn't a fan of her doing it without himself there to keep a watchful eye anyway. "Fine, we can go." he sighed; he wasn't looking forward to dealing with Sakura and maybe Ino again.

"Really?" he nodded in response.

"Thank you, teme!" Naruto proceeded to glomp him, and though he had never really been big on physical contact, he could safely say he wouldn't mind having her closer more frequently.

* * *

Unlike Naruto, he _had_ drunk before. His last few months in Otogakure had pretty much consisted of Suigetsu using his brother's driving license to buy alcohol for their small group of four. Despite drinking before though, he had never really gotten drunk. He actually liked the taste and the slight burn in his throat from drinking, but the thought of being impaired didn't appeal much to him.

It only made sense to go get a drink when he was instantly accosted by Sakura and Ino when they walked into the bar; it worked as an excuse to get away from the overly-excited girls and he'd actually get to do something he somewhat enjoyed, rather than engaging in small talk.

"Teme! You're not havin' fun!" Naruto cried out as she approached him, Shikamaru Nara in tow.

He was glad to see the other teen with Naruto; back when he had still been in school with them, Shikamaru hadn't really been friends with the blonde, but he had never really been rude or mean to her either, even interacting with her on occasion in a friendly manner together with Choji, his best friend. He wondered if they had become closer once he had gone off to Oto, and he would be glad if they did – Shikamaru had the potential to be a good friend.

"Uchiha," Shikamaru greeted when he was a step or two away from him, and he nodded in response.

"Ne, Sasuke! Shikamaru's gonna be going to the same university as us, so you guys should become better friends," Naruto piped up, pushing the Nara to sit down on a stool next to his own, all while the other teen grumbled as she did so.

She left them alone quickly thereafter, and though the silence that settled between Shikamaru and himself was sort of awkward, Naruto's comment on the spiky-haired teen's choice of higher schooling was an easy conversation starter.

He didn't really know how it happened, but they eventually got into a sort of unspoken drinking competition. Luckily for him, he could hold his alcohol pretty well, but it seemed Shikamaru was the same. They were well on their way to having gone through a second bottle of sake between the two of them, but he didn't feel drunk, just relaxed.

"Are you and Naruto friends?" he asked Shikamaru, boldened by the alcohol in his system; normally he wouldn't ask more personal questions unless he was close to the person.

"Yeah, sort of. She's much closer to Sakura though, surprisingly," Shikamaru replied, and he nodded. Sakura hadn't exactly liked Naruto much when they had been kids, finding her to be too annoying and loud.

"She's managed to win a lot of people over, even Kiba and Ino," the lazy teen added, taking another sip of sake.

That made him look over to where Naruto was seated with the three girls he had seen in that picture in her room, only this time Kiba was standing in front of their table, seeming to annoy them somehow based on the way Sakura and Ino were scowling, but Naruto was laughing. He couldn't help but feel proud of the sunny blonde. She had always wanted lots of friends, something he hadn't really understood as a kid and something that had even made him jealous at one point, though he quickly realized Naruto just seemed to _thrive_ when surrounded by people – which is why her becoming some sort of outcast as a kid had been all the more painful, not just for her but for him too.

"We're pretty proud of her too," Shikamaru said, and he flushed when he realized he had been talking out loud. He didn't ask who ' _we_ ' consisted of, but he could figure that that group consisted of some of her friends, who had gotten to be there for her and who got to support her as things changed – something he didn't get to do.

He had more questions he wanted to ask on the tip of his tongue, and had he been more intoxicated he probably would've gone ahead and asked them. Another bout of silence settled in between them but this time around it wasn't as awkward; probably thanks to the alcohol. He took the chance to look around the dimly-lit bar, recognizing – albeit with some difficulty – three people who had made Naruto and even his own school experience insufferable. Dosu, Kin and Zaku had transferred from, ironically, Otogakure, nearly two years before he left himself. The three of them had been quick to go against Naruto, while trying to cozy up to him – which obviously hadn't worked out for them in the end.

"Why would you invite them?" he asked with a scoff, motioning toward the trio with a nod.

"They invite themselves," Shikamaru shrugged in response. "Usually just mind their own business too."

"Hn," he grunted.

It seemed like them minding their own business was short-lived though, since they seemed to notice him looking at their small group. He groaned internally as the three teens approached him and Shikamaru, drinks in hand.

"Look who's finally back," Dosu said with a poorly concealed sneer.

"Don't be a bastard, Dosu. Ne, Sasuke-kun, how did you like Oto?" Kin then asked him, and though she was clearly trying to be sweet or whatever, he could tell she was bitter.

"Otogakure was fine, but I gotta say, I think I like Konoha better," he replied with a smirk, his eyes darting off to take a glance at Naruto.

Diminishing their home town probably hadn't been the best idea, but he wasn't willing to just let the three Otogakure natives settle back into the routine they had taken up when they had been kids, especially if it meant teasing Naruto.

"Tch, of course you'd say that. Going right back to your old ways, huh, Uchiha?" Zaku said with a sneer, pushing into his space, uninvited. "Think you're better than everyone else? I saw you come in with the freak too."

Although the insult wasn't directed at him, it made his blood boil. That had been the same thing they had taken to calling Naruto in school, among a plethora of other hurtful and offensive words. The blonde had always shrugged it off with a smile, but he wasn't naïve enough to believe that Naruto wasn't affected by it.

"What did you just say?" he shoved Zaku backwards with his hands, and maybe it was the alcohol that made it so he couldn't really tell how much strength he had put behind it, because the other dark-haired teen stumbled harshly, his drink falling to the ground and the glass shattering with it, making everyone else around turn to look at them in surprise.

"What, did I strike a nerve, Uchiha? You've always been so protective of _him_ , it really warms my heart," Zaku said mockingly.

Punching the idiot in the mouth had felt almost like an instinctual response, if the satisfaction he got from it was anything to go by. As soon as his knuckles made contact with Zaku's face, he heard a plethora of gasps and screams break out, but he was only focused on making sure the other teen wasn't able to make any more snarky, stupid comments. In his current state, dodging wasn't as easy, but the punch he received in return barely registered in his mind before he was going in for a second one himself. With it, he managed to send Zaku tumbling to the floor and he followed, but before he could make another swing, he felt himself being pulled off the other boy.

"Fucking prick," he spat out at the crumpled figure of Zaku on the dirty bar floor as he was moved away.

Looking back made him see that Shikamaru had an arm wrapped around his upper half to pull him back, while Naruto had both her hands holding onto his wrist. For a moment, he felt like trying to move out of their grasp, if only to finish what he had started, but when Naruto called out his name and asked him to stop, he let them pull him back onto a stool. He could see the blonde talking to Shikamaru and Sakura was there too, but he couldn't make out what they were saying.

He tried to stand but he sat back down quickly, regretting his decision. He felt dizzy and his brain felt hazy, and though normally he'd want people to stay away when in a situation like this one, Naruto's presence next to him was oddly welcome.

"I'm going… him… house," he somewhat heard Naruto say, and then he was being pulled up and away from everyone else, the blonde holding his hand firmly in hers.

It didn't take long for him to realize they were now outside, if the cold biting at his skin was anything to go by. Naruto led the both of them to a bench, where she sat him down and wordlessly handed him a bottle of water, which he took gratefully.

When his mind became clearer, he started making out the contours of the street more clearly, and he could still see the bar they had been in not too far away. Naruto was sitting beside him patiently, waiting for him to drink all the water. When he was done and he put the bottle down, the blonde came closer, dabbing a handkerchief across his lips and chin, making him reel back from the slight sting, but she followed his movements.

"I swear, honestly…" Naruto muttered under her breath, keeping up her work on his face diligently but softly.

"Why did you do that?" she finally asked, peering up at him from under her lashes.

"He deserved it," he replied with no hesitation whatsoever. Truthfully, he didn't even know if Naruto had heard the entirety of what Zaku had said, but even without her there at all he wouldn't had let it slide.

"You were supposed to have fun," the blonde scolded. "Not get into a fight, 'ttebayo."

"You got into fights all the time when we were kids," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Not that he hadn't gotten into a good amount himself, but Naruto had held the title for most fights fought. He knew Naruto had preferred to throw punches than break down and cry, though she would still do the latter in private or when it was just the two of them.

"Yeah, exactly, when I was 12," Naruto retorted with a pout, shifting her gaze to her lap as she folded up the blood-stained handkerchief and then held it out to him, not even having to tell him to give it back when it was washed and clean.

He took the handkerchief from her hand, stuffing it in his pocket, but he never really stopped looking at Naruto's whiskered face which was being illuminated by a ratty street light above them. Blame it on the alcohol or don't, but it got to a point where he couldn't hold off from saying what was on his mind, and it rolled off his tongue with the eloquence an almost drunk person shouldn't have.

"Your eyes are beautiful," he complimented easily, and he watched intently as Naruto blinked up owlishly at him with her aforementioned eyes, before color flooded her face and she turned away with a pout, getting up from the bench not a moment after.

"You're drunk," she said.

"Just tipsy," he replied, looking up at her. He decided to get off the bench too, standing on unstable legs before gaining his footing.

"Yeah, well… whatever," the blonde pouted, and he gave out a chuckle in response.

"I'm taking you home," she then declared, grabbing his wrist and tugging him along the street. "And for what it's worth… had I been in your place, I would've punched him too."

* * *

Another couple of weeks since the bar incident found them in the start of summer, the days becoming more and more heated, though there were some odd ones where it got cloudy and the temperature dropped.

"Aah, it's so hot outside now," Naruto complained from beside him, and he had to nod in agreement, even if they were sitting in front a fan on the cool wooden boards of his backyard patio, with half-eaten slices of watermelon by their feet.

"D'you wanna go to the beach?" she asked him, rolling over onto her stomach and holding her jaw in her hands.

"It's a two-hour drive, dobe," he replied, though the idea sounded nice. Beaches weren't exactly his thing, but if the breeze and the sea could help him cool off then he'd take it.

"And it's like ten in the morning right now," the blonde said. "You can borrow your mom's car! C'mon!"

"So you want me to drive too?" he asked her, unimpressed.

She only smiled sheepishly at him before getting up and going inside the house with a light laugh. It wasn't long before he could hear her asking his mom if she'd let him borrow the car. Rolling his eyes, he got up and followed her.

"I think it's a great idea!" his mom was telling Naruto, turning to look at him when he was close enough.

"Sasuke, the car keys are in the bowl next to the door," she said, pushing him toward the entryway. "Make sure to use sunscreen and don't come back too late!"

"So, we're going?" Naruto asked as she joined him where he was standing to get the keys. He glared at her half-heartedly and she brought up a hand to rub at the back of her neck like she usually did when she was nervous.

"Hn," he grunted, grabbing the keys and then heading for the stairs, ready to get the things they'd need if they were going to go to the beach.

It turns out they had to make a stop at Naruto's house too, all for her to change and grab her own things, though it didn't really slow them down. It took them the predicted two hours to reach the Land of Waves, which was the closest beach to Konoha. As it got closer to noon, the heat rose, and even with the AC on in the car, they had both been sweating, but as soon as they stepped down from the vehicle, the breeze cooled them down, even if the sun was still shining hot above them.

When they finally managed to get down to the beach, he trailed behind the excited blonde, shrugging off his shoes as he went and cursing when he realized just how hot the sand was beneath his feet. Naruto seemed to be one step ahead of him already, setting down a big towel and even bringing out an umbrella from her bag.

"You brought an umbrella?" he asked curiously when he reached her, setting down his own things on the towel.

"Well, yeah. I'd probably be fine with just sunscreen but I thought it'd be helpful since you're so pale," she replied with a cheeky smile. "And as much fun as it'd be to see you all red, letting you get sunburnt probably isn't the best idea."

He made himself comfortable on the towel while Naruto set up the umbrella to her liking, grinning in self-satisfaction at the shadow it managed to cast over them. Then, she sat herself down next to him, only to then pull her shirt up over her head, leaving her in an orange bikini top and the denim shorts she had been wearing before. She began to lather her arms and legs in sunscreen all while he sat there trying his hardest not to blush; something he was sure he was doing already.

"Want me to do your back?" Naruto then asked him, holding up the bottle of sunscreen.

He hesitated for a second, before shrugging off his own shirt, turning around and giving the blonde full access to his back, though he felt a little tense while doing so. When the cold sun block made contact with his skin, he released a small shudder, making Naruto laugh behind him. He felt her soft hands rubbing up and down his back, slowly easing the tension from his muscles as she did so. She started at the small of his back, moving up and then over his shoulders, and it wasn't long before she was done, withdrawing her hands with an exclamation of ' _Done!'._

At that point, he couldn't really tell why he was disappointed that her hands hadn't lingered on him, but the more reasonable part of his brain reminded him that she was only doing him a favor.

"Do you want me to…" he offered with slight uncertainty, looking down at the sunscreen still held in her hand.

"Hm?" she hummed, then followed his line of sight. "No, it's okay. I asked my mom to do it for me before leaving, but thank you," the blonde explained with a grin.

That answer was probably saving him from a good amount of embarrassment, but a small part of him was disappointed that he couldn't do for her what she had done for him, even if it amounted to something so miniscule as sunscreen.

In the end, they lied on the steadily cooling sand for hours, though Naruto did force him to get in the water with her at one point. They only ended up soaking their feet when they realized how cold the water was, but the blonde argued that it would've been stupid to go all the way to the beach only to not touch the water at all. It was already dark as they began to make their way back, but the car ride was pleasant, even if he was beginning to feel a little tired.

When they reached Naruto's house, she unbuckled her seatbelt, but she didn't make a move to get out of the car, which made him slightly confused. She was looking at him in a calculating manner, as if there was some mystery to solve, and just as he was about to snap at her and tell her to stop her staring, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Ne, teme?" Naruto started, only moving forward when he nodded in acknowledgement. "The fireworks festival is on Friday, so, do you want to maybe go with me?"

"Fireworks festival?" he muttered mostly to himself, thinking back to the times when they had gone as kids, accompanied by either Itachi or their parents. He remembered enjoying himself in spite of the crowds and all the noise, which under normal circumstances, would've made it an environment he wouldn't have been fond of, but seeing Naruto fail miserably and rather hilariously at all the games had always trumped the downsides. Plus, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed fireworks, even if he had teased the blonde back then for ' _oohing_ ' and _'aahing'_ in childlike marvel at every bright explosion that went off. 

"Yeah, I'd like that," he ended up replying, thoroughly satisfied by the cheerful smile he managed to draw out from the sunny teen.

* * *

When he went to get Naruto at her house, he wasn't expecting that looking at her would make his body freeze up but his heartrate pick up speed. It was somewhat odd, seeing the blonde in a light pink kimono with a simple design on it, a pastel yellow thick obi wound tightly around her waist and tied skillfully at the back. She had the typical geta on her feet, but the most eye-catching thing about her was from the neck up; her hair was done in a bun, a comb decorated with flowers and dangling petals accompanying it. The eyes he loved so much – as he could admit that to himself now – were lined in black, and her lips had a faint touch of pink.

"You look amazing," he couldn't stop himself from saying. He had expected the blonde to blush, which she did, but he had also been expecting her to try and find a way to not fully accept the compliment; she just smiled bashfully and returned the sentiment.

"Thanks, you do too," Naruto said. "Uchiha Sasuke giving out compliments, who would have thought," the blonde laughed at his irritated face, trudging on ahead with her kinchaku held in one of her hands, swinging about lazily as she moved.

He caught up with Naruto and they walked together over to where the brunt of the festival was being held, families and couples walking ahead and besides them, all heading the same way. The sky darkened as they went along, the streets becoming illuminated by streetlights, the various lanterns strewn around and the moon. Naruto was practically bouncing with excitement next to him, though he could tell she was a bit constricted by the clothing and sandals.

"We should totally get ramen first, 'ttebayo," Naruto said, delight evident in her eyes at the apparent thought of noodles.

"We're not getting ramen, dobe," she pouted at that. "There's going to be plenty of other things to eat."

"Hmm," the blond hummed thoughtfully. "We could try and scoop some goldfish then."

"Are you going to give every kiddie game a try?" he smirked at her, thoroughly enjoying how she sputtered indignantly, smacking him on the side with her small handbag. "What would you do with a goldfish anyway?"

"I could give it to Konohamaru, he's always wanted a pet of some type," Naruto said just as they entered the more crowded area of the festival, people all around them crammed together at the different food and game stalls.

"Want to get food?" he asked her, and not a second later he was being pulled toward the takoyaki stand.

As he had predicted, Naruto _did_ try every game available to them, from ring tossing to toy gun shooting and ending with the goldfish scooping she had mentioned earlier. It was hard to conceal his smile throughout, because although he didn't participate much himself – except from when Naruto forced him to try the shooting when she failed three times in a row – the sight of the blonde unashamedly enjoying herself even when people gave her weird looks made him feel warm.

It looked like Naruto was right at home as she moved around the festival excitedly, and that's when he realized that really, pretty much nothing about her had changed in the years he had been away. Sure, the exterior was somewhat different, but his favorite features hadn't gone anywhere, and her personality was pretty much untouched, if only a little more refined. She was still clumsy, enthusiastic, loud, boisterous and just very _Naruto_ , a presence that had been a constant during his childhood years, and that now felt even more comforting. Not many things made him laugh, and he was aware that most people saw him as serious and maybe even cold, but Naruto had always managed to crack his composure. He couldn't help from chuckling whenever she lost at some game and then started making up excuses, or when she dropped her brand-new candied apple – though he did mourn the loss of perfectly good food just as much as the blonde did.

Eventually, he found himself carrying a small baggy of goldfish, which Naruto had smugly asked him to take after she got them, her hands too preoccupied with the fox plush she won for herself in the ring toss, because in her words, she was an independent woman who didn't need him to win it for her like in the movies, though he did end up winning a dumb looking frog in the toy gun shooter which he did give to the blonde, but he didn't comment on her accepting it; she probably wouldn't have appreciated him calling out her rather humorous hypocrisy.

Naruto tired herself out with the games after a while, so they chose to sit down on a somewhat secluded bench, but they had full view of the crowds walking by. He knew the fireworks would be starting soon, so they'd have to move to a better spot to fully enjoy them, but for now he was content to just sit down and relax for a while.

"Ne, d'you remember that one time we came to the festival with Itachi?" Naruto asked him, quickly taking him back to that particular event; they had been around nine years old if he remember correctly, and their parents had taken the opportunity to get time to themselves, while placing all their trust in his older brother, who had been fifteen or so at the time.

"Yeah, I remember," he replied. "I also remember how we got separated from Itachi and you started crying pretty much right away."

"Teme! I thought we were gonna get kidnapped or something," the blonde bristled at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hn. We were in broad daylight and surrounded by people," he reasoned, not surprised at all to see Naruto stick her tongue out at him childishly in response.

"Want to go watch the fireworks?" he then asked the blonde when he noticed people were starting to head up to the top of Hokage mountain; the festival had been held along the lower parts of the rocky structure, but pretty much everyone knew that in order to get a better view of the fireworks you had to make the small trek up.

"Yeah, good idea," Naruto replied, getting up from the bench and walking ahead a bit before she looked back at him with a smile that was beckoning him forward. Heading up the somewhat crowded stone stairs, they remained close but mostly silent, save for the blonde making a few remarks here and there, mainly about how pretty the scenery looked, something he had to agree with. Otogakure had been more of a concrete jungle, with tall buildings looming over you constantly, but Konoha had remained charmingly simple, and the sight of it completely lit up was breathtaking – something he could admit without even really having any particular attachment to his home town.

They found themselves an empty patch of grass where they could sit down, and he saw Naruto set down her plush fox and frog to the side with a strange amount of care. A few minutes was all it took for the blonde to begin complaining and whining about how the fireworks were taking too long to start, and telling her to just wait didn't do much. Naruto had always been hyperactive, having a hard time staying still and silent even when the situation called for it; though it could be problematic at times, it was somewhat endearing.

When the first firework went off, they both flinched slightly from the noise, making Naruto giggle and him scowl at her in return. The fireworks were pretty bright, going off one after the other in a mix of several different colors, and though they were loud, he got used to the burst of sound pretty quickly. To his left, he saw Naruto looking at the fireworks intently, seemingly in awe. He could see the reflections of the fireworks in the blonde's blue eyes from this angle; he ended up not really paying attention to anything else but Naruto, even though he should've been staring straight ahead like she was.

Glancing down, he saw Naruto's hand resting on the grass, and not a second later he found himself inching his own hand closer, laying it on top of hers shakily. He was somewhat surprised when she didn't pull it away and proceeded to scream at him for the contact, but he took the opportunity to interlace their fingers together. The longer he held her hand in his, the faster his heart began to beat, and he really hoped his palm didn't start sweating.

It felt like an eternity before Naruto turned to look at him, her eyes roving up from their joined hands to straight at him and at once he felt his rapidly beating heart freeze up in anticipation. He had the strange urge to kiss the blonde – though if he really thought about it, it wasn't strange at all. When they had been kids, he had always known he'd spent the rest of his life with the blonde one way or another, and when he came back to Konoha, though he hadn't thought of Naruto in a romantic manner right away, it quickly began to make itself clear that what he felt towards her was more than simple affection. He had considered telling the blonde on their outing to the beach, but the setting just hadn't been right; not to mention that he didn't know Naruto would take it.

At that moment though, with fireworks going off before them and with their hands linked in between them, the time and place felt appropriate, if albeit a bit corny and played out. He knew however, that he probably wouldn't get another opportunity to be that way with Naruto again any time soon, so without really thinking about it, he leaned forward ever so slightly, closing his eyes as he went, until he felt his lips make contact with the blonde's. The sound of the fireworks blaring in his ear and the thrum in his chest felt suffocating, but he chose to focus on Naruto instead.

Her lips felt soft but unmoving, making slight panic – a feeling he wasn't used to – rise up in him, and as he was about to move away, he felt the blonde pull him closer with her other hand clutching the fabric of his top. Though he did know his childhood friend well, he _was_ surprised to feel her responding.

* * *

Astoundingly, after the kiss, things were smooth sailing between them afterwards. It felt smooth to go from being best friends to being together romantically, and everyone around seemed to have thought it had only been a matter of time before they started to date.

It turns out they weren't able to get a co-ed dorm in Fire Country University, but they did find a small one-bedroom apartment close to campus that they were able to rent together for a relatively good price. The more reasonable part of his brain told him that maybe it was a bit rushed to start living together after only around a month of being together with Naruto as a couple, but as corny as it sounded, he did often feel as though the blonde was his soulmate, not to mention they had known each other for around thirteen years, so hopefully moving in together wasn't a misstep.

The actual process of moving in had been hard, and it had made him come to terms with something he had long suspected – Naruto was a hoarder. She had brought an unreal number of boxes with her, and though seeing her in airy clothing and her hair pulled up into a ponytail as she moved her things inside the apartment had been nice, he had been more focused on making her send some things back to her parents' house, otherwise they'd run out space rather quickly.

Moving day had left them both dead tired, but they had just about managed to set up their bed in the bedroom before going to sleep at some outrageous time in the middle of the night. Waking up that next morning felt somewhat weird; it wasn't something he would've predicted a year before then, but he could confidently say he was more than happy with it.

Naruto's soft body was pressed up against his side, her head tucked where his shoulder met his neck. Shifting slightly to get a better look at her made her stir and wake up, bleary blue eyes opening ever so slightly to glare at him. Even with Naruto annoyed at him, seeing her next to him in bed, with the yellowish tint of the rising sun coming in through the window and her long hair splayed out on the pillow made his heart swell.

"Your eyes _are_ beautiful," he finds himself saying, moving some locks of blonde hair away from her face gently. He sees the blonde open her mouth, probably to protest what he had just said.

"I'm not drunk this time," he pressed. "I did mean it back then though."

"You're an idiot," Naruto said, and he smirked, but he withheld himself from clarifying that she was the dobe out of the two. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied with ease, something he'd probably never get tired of saying or hearing from her.

"I think I always have," he then said mostly to himself; the blonde had fallen back asleep already, anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> I personally see Naruto as just Naruto, whether that be as a boy, girl, both, neither or whatever but thats just personally my headcanon, so yeah. if you enjoyed feel free to give the story a kudos or to bookmark it and share ur thoughts in the comments :))


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